Egg-tester.



PATENTED FEB. 18, 1908.

C; F. SWANSON.

EGG TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

INVENTOR L C diifl zuana'on ,4 TTOHNEYS Mizg THE "cams PETERS ca.,WASHINGTON,'D. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL F. SWANSON, OF ST. PAUL, MTNNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO X-RAY EGG TESTER00., OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

E GGr-TE STER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL F. SWANSON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented a new and Improved Egg-Tester, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of this invention is to provide novel details ofconstruction for an egg tester, which are simple and very effective inservice, affording convenient means for giving mirrors employed anydesired inclination from a vertical position, to reflect rays of lightimpinging thereon at a proper angle for illuminating eggs held in thetester for inspection.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a partly'sectional side view of the improved egg testershowing different adjustments for the interior details by dotted linesFig. 2 is a partly sectional side view, taken at a right angle to thatshown in Fig. 1 and substantially on the line 2-2 in said fig ure; andFig. 3 is an enlarged, partly sectional plan view of details, taken.substantially on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

The body portion 5 of the tester is in the form of a rectangular boxhaving two opposite side walls 5 that are affixed upon the bottom Wall 5as shown in Fig. 2. Ecotangular openings are formed in the remainingopposite sides of the body 5, which are marginally defined by transverseborderstrips (1, a, that form abutments against which the frames 1) oftwo similar mirrors 6, 6 may impinge, said frames having suitable backboards for the support of the mirrors. The frames of the mirrors 6 arerectangular, and at central points on the upright members I) of eachframe, the perforated end portions of two similar link-bars c, c arepivoted by screw-studs d, as indicated in Fig. 1 and also for onelink-bar, in Fig. 3.

Upon opposite ends of the link-bars c, c, the end portions of twosimilar link-bars e, e are lapped and pivoted, as shown at e in Fig. 1.The remaining ends of the link-bars e, e are perforated laterally andjilapped together, receiving journal studs 9 that are fixed in thepermanent side walls 5 at their centers and therefore oppositely.

It is to be understood that as the connections 0, c and e, c are similarfor each mirrorframe F), the latter will be supported on the links andtheir pivots, so as to be adapted for adjustment, either to close theopenings in the sides of the body 5, or be inclined as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 1, as will be further explained hereinafter.

Upon the level upper edge of the rectangular body 5 a cover or hood 7 ismounted, it comprising a four-walled structure having the lower endthereof equal in dimensions with those of the body 5, and from saidlower end having its walls converged toward the upper end, thus givingsaid hood the form of a pyramid with the pinnacle thereof removed. Theupper open end of the hood 7 has two opposite edges 7:. concaved andalso scalloped, as shown at h, thus permitting a person to completelyclose the open end if the face of the person is imposed upon said edges,which is important, as it prevents the entrance ofv light at the top ofthe tester, which would detrimentally affect the testing operation.

The lower edge of the hood 7 is hinged at one side, as shown at i, and ahook and staple or equivalent securing means is provided at the oppositeside, as shown at m, thus detachably holding the hood 7 on the bodyportion 5. For convenience in handling, a bail-handle 8 is mounted uponthe hood 7 near its upper end.

The free top edge of the body section 5 is rabbeted, as at 7c, and formsa seat whereon a holder-plate A of an egg-lifter of any preferredconstruction is removably seated when the tester is in use, said platesupporting eggs that are to be inspected by one looking down upon theeggs, which are exposed to rays of light reflected upwardly from belowthe plate and eggs.

The improved egg tester affords means for utilizing natural light, suchas the rays of the sun, or artificial light, if natural light is notavailable.

It will be seen that the mirrors 6, 6 may be given various inclinations,so as to receive light-rays and reflect such rays upwardly. For example,one or both mirrors may be inclined outwardly and downwardly, near thebottom wall 5", as shown broken and in dotted lines in Fig. 1, therebyadapting them for receiving light from outside of the boX body 5 andreflecting it upward through the eggs. Artificial light, such as abrilliant light from a lamp in a dark room, may also be employed and therays therefrom that impinge upon the mirror or mirrors as the case maybe, will be reflected upwardly.

The mirrors may be arranged to incline toward each other at their loweredges, and an electric lamp 9 be employed for illuminating the interiorof the box body 5, said lamp being positioned between the inclinedmirrors, as shown in Fig. 1. The mirrors 6, 6 are to be disposedvertically and against the border-strips a, a when the tester device isnot in service, which may be effected by an adjustment of the mirrorsand their controlling link-bars c, c and e, e, as shown by full linesin'Figs. 1 and 3.

In order to expedite the removal of a plate A that is part of anegg-lifter, after the eggs thereon have been tested, a short shaft n isjournaled in one side 5 near its upper edge, an arm n being secured onthe inner end of said shaft at right angles thereto, the arm havingsufficientlength for its impingement on the lower side of the plate A,and efiect a sufiicient elevation of the latter to permit it to bemanually grasped and raised from the body 5. On the outer end of theshaft n a thumb-piece or cross-arm a is formed, which enables a turningmovement of the shaft n, and thus causes the arm to be elevated for theurpose described.

aving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. An egg-testing device, embodying a hollow four-sided body having anopening ineach of two opposite sides, and mirrors adjustably supportedin the body, adapted for closure of the openings or for receivinginclinations in the body.

2. An egg-testing device, embodying a hollow four-sided body having anopening in each of two 0 osite sides, two mirrors, and adjustable l1nbars pivoted upon the body and upon the mirrors, that by adjustinclination at the opening, a hood having,

upwardly converged walls and a sight-opening at the upper edge of saidhood.

4. An e g-testing device, embodying a four-sided iOHOW body, twoopposite sides thereof having an opening in each, two.

framed and backed mirrors that may close these openings, and two pairsof link-bars,

each pair pivoted together at their lapped ends and at theremaining endsrespectively pivoted upon the side edges of the mirrorframes and uponthe walls of the body at opposite points, whereby the mirrors'may begiven different inclinations from a vertical lane, for the reflection ofimpinging rays of ight upwardly.

5. An egg-testing device embodying a rectangular hollow body having arabbeted upper edge and having an apertured eggholder plate seated onsaid rabbeted edge, a rock-shaft journaled in a side wall of the body,near the holder-plate, an arm on an end of said shaft, and means forturning the shaft, for impinging an end of the arm on the holder-plate,thus raising said plate and permitting its manual removal.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL F. SWANSON.

